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A Piranha

A man fishing in the Catawba River in North Carolina caught an unexpected fish - a one pound piranha. Piranhas are native to South America and it is illegal to own them as pets or release them in local waterways. Wildlife officials believe the piranha found its way into the river after being released by its illegal owner who grew tired of caring for it. They hope it was the only piranha and locals are now wary of swimming in the river.

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Cornelia Sindi
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138 views

A Piranha

A man fishing in the Catawba River in North Carolina caught an unexpected fish - a one pound piranha. Piranhas are native to South America and it is illegal to own them as pets or release them in local waterways. Wildlife officials believe the piranha found its way into the river after being released by its illegal owner who grew tired of caring for it. They hope it was the only piranha and locals are now wary of swimming in the river.

Uploaded by

Cornelia Sindi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A Piranha

One North Carolina man found quite a surprise last year while fishing in the Catawba River: a
piranha. Jerry Melton, of Gastonia, reeled in a one pound, four ounce fish with an unusual bite.
Melton could not identify it, but a nearby fisherman did. Melton at first could not believe he had
caught a piranha. He said, “That ain’t no piranha. They ain’t got piranha around here.” Melton was
right: the fish is native to South America, and North Carolina prohibits owning the fish as a pet or
introducing the species to local waterways. The sharp-toothed, carnivorous fish likely found itself in
the Catawba River when its illegal owner released the fish after growing tired of it. Wildlife officials
hope that the piranha was the only of its kind in the river, but locals are thinking twice before they
wade in the water.
Topic : A Piranha

Piranha are omnivorous, freshwater fish, which are mostly known for their single row of sharp,
triangular teeth in both jaws. Piranhas’ teeth come together in a scissor-like bite and are used for
puncture and tearing. Baby piranha are small, about the size of a thumbnail, but full-grown piranha
grow up to about 6-10 inches, and some individual fish up to 2 feet long have been found. The many
species of piranha vary in color, though most are either silvery with an orange underbelly and throat
or almost entirely black

You can safely swim with piranhas, but it’s important to know how and when to do it. First, chose an
appropriate time, preferably at night and during the rainy season. Avoid piranha-infested waters
during the dry season, when food supplies are low and piranhas are more desperate. Piranhas feed
during the day, so night-time swimming is much safer. Second, streamline your movement. Wild or
erratic activity attracts the attention of piranhas. Swim slowly and smoothly. Finally, never enter the
water with an open wound or raw meat. Piranhas attack larger animals only when they are wounded.
The presence of blood in the water may tempt the fish to attack. If you follow these simple
precautions, you will have little to fear.

Piranhas comprise more than 30-60 species of fish, depending on whom you ask. The many
species fall into four genera: Pygocentrus, Pygopristis, Serrasalmus, and Pristobrycon. Piranha in
the Pygocentrus genus are the most common variety, the kind you might find in a pet store.
Pygopristis piranha are herbivores, feasting on seeds and fruits, not flesh. In contrast, fish in the
Serrasalmus genus eat only meat, and their teeth are razor-sharp.

Pristobrycon are the least friendly of all piranhas; they often bite the fins of other fish, even fish of
the same species. The label piranha, then, refers to a wide variety of species.

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